She tweeted: “Can someone send me the picture list of snotty Tory mps - need to identify the one who just tried to throw me out of the members lift.”

Mr Robathan later approached Ms Creasy in the Commons tea room and offered his apology.

By last night he had written to Ms Creasy, blaming his age – he is 59 and Ms Creasy is 34 – for his behaviour. Ms Creasy said: “I expect other MPs to behave in ways that don’t demean Parliament. There was no justification for it.”

Mr Robathan countered: “I was not rude to her at all. Not unreasonably there are some lifts that are for MPs and wheelchair users only. I challenged two people who I had never set eyes on. I said I am terribly sorry and wrote her a note. It was a genuine mistake.”